


what you want

by Cookabeara



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, background caspar & ashe, they babysit a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26408338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cookabeara/pseuds/Cookabeara
Summary: Bernadetta is new to the whole being-in-a-relationship thing. Being given the unexpected responsibility of watching a cat for the weekend turns into an opportunity to face the thing she's been avoiding — spending time with her girlfriend.
Relationships: Petra Macneary/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	what you want

**Author's Note:**

> I finally decided to write an idea I've been sitting on for a while now :)) turned into a bit of self-indulgence bingo for me, but that's where the fun is.

An overcast sky threatened rain that morning, which Bernadetta found herself gleefully anticipating. She loved any excuse to stay inside and keep to herself, and watching the rain fall and saturate the greenery outside the apartment would be perfect with a mug of hot tea cradled in her palms. Even now, she had her face pressed up against the window, breath fogging up the glass as she eagerly awaited the formation of puddles on the sidewalk.

“I’m not going out there to jump in the puddles with you,” her roommate stated behind her as he screwed the bottle of nail polish in his hands shut. The smell still lingered in the air, though no longer searing to the nose as it had initially been, as he set it down on the table with a _clink._

Bernadetta giggled. Her attention had been torn from the window, and she was now staring at the head of purple hair at the kitchen table.

“I wasn’t going to suggest that.”

“Really? You were excited about that new pair of rainboots. The ones with the ducks on them.”

“They’re cute!” Her jump to defensiveness got Yuri chuckling. Realizing she’d just given him the reaction he wanted, she returned to her own seat at the table with a huff. The topic quickly shifted when Yuri slid the lineup of nail polish in front of Bernadetta. She pointed to the lavender shade before offering her left hand and using her other to pick up her phone.

The second whiff of nail polish had her more awake than any brew she’d been offered in Hubert’s company. Amidst the procedure of her casual morning check-up on messages, she was interrupted by a phone call. She rushed to answer it before Yuri could make a cheeky comment about how she jumped at her own ringtone.

“Hello?” Despite recognizing the caller as Caspar, her voice still trembled.

“Hey, Bernadetta!” He boomed from the other end, causing Bernadetta to distance the speaker from her ear. “Ashe and I are heading out for the weekend, so we were wondering if you could watch the cat while we were gone!”

“You don’t have to ask permission for Linhardt to come over,” Bernadetta said with a frown. It wasn’t unusual for Linhardt to crash unannounced at either of their apartments. He sort of just ping-ponged depending on his mood and the convenience of location.

“No, no! I mean our cat. Like, our actual cat.”

“You have a cat?” This was certainly news to her.

“Yeah! He just sort of showed up one day, so we decided to take him in. You like cats, don’t you, Bernadetta?”

“I-I do.”

“Awesome! So you’ll do it, right?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess, but—”

“Okay, we’ll swing by to drop him off soon! Thanks, Bernadetta!”

Before she could utter anything else, Caspar had hung up. Biting her lip, she lowered her phone and turned to Yuri.

“What?” he asked, only looking up briefly before he resumed applying coats of purple to her nails. “You have that look like you’re guilty about something.”

“I...well...do you promise not to get mad at me?” she quickly blurted. Yuri raised an eyebrow, indicating that he was waiting for her to continue. “No, no, I want you to answer!”

“I won’t get mad. You know I’d help you cover up a crime, Bernadetta.”

“It’s not anything like that!” The snicker her squawk had evoked had Bernadetta wondering (and it wouldn’t have been the first time) whether or not her friend was joking. Either way, she was being teased again, and she wasn’t in the mood. Not when she was genuinely worried that she had just done something that risked offending him. “Listen, I just agreed to something that I don’t think you’ll be too happy about. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? I don’t even know what it is you did yet.”

“Right! Right. Uhm. I agreed to cat sit for Caspar and Ashe. F-For the weekend.” She swallowed, and jumped right back into talking before Yuri could fit in a word of his own. “I was going to mention your allergy, but he hung up before I could!”

“Bernadetta, it’s fine, really. I can manage for a weekend. But, if you’re really worried, you could always find another place for the cat to stay.” He stopped, letting go of Bernadetta’s hand and gesturing for her other. She set her phone down and turned to make the reach easier, placing her palm in Yuri’s.

“You mean just tell someone else to do it?”

He shook his head.

“Weren’t you looking for an excuse to spend more time at your girlfriend’s place? Why don’t you two watch the cat together. That way, I won’t be sneezing, and you two get some time together.”

Bernadetta froze. It certainly sounded like the ideal scenario in her mind, but it couldn’t be _that_ simple. Sure, Petra had told her she was welcome to visit her any time she wanted since they were dating (which still got Bernie’s heart all fluttery to think about), but that didn’t mean ‘show up with a cat and expect it to turn into a romantic evening.’

“What if she doesn’t like cats?” Bernadetta found herself asking without a second thought. Yuri actually stopped what he was doing to shoot her a look.

“Bernadetta, how many stories have you told me about her talking to the stray cats you encounter on your dates.” Despite it technically being a question, it was not stated as such, and Bernadetta felt her face go hot.

“Wh-What if she’s faking that?” She didn’t need to see the next glance thrown her way to know she was being silly about the whole thing, but she couldn’t help it. With a sigh, she dropped her gaze to focus on her painted nails instead of her intrusive imagination.

It took a bit to find the resolve to follow through with this idea. Honestly, she was kind of surprised that Yuri was encouraging her...romantic endeavors, so to speak. Probably just more to tease her about in the long run.

“I’ll text her about it,” she declared, crossing her left arm over to grab her phone. She looked up long enough to see a grin flash across Yuri’s face.

“Good. I hope she likes the idea.”

  
  


Petra did like the idea — at least, that was what Bernadetta gathered from the texts she received in response to the proposition of cat sitting at her place. Now, Bernadetta found herself worked up into a whole new level of nervousness.

See, dating Petra was more-or-less a recent thing. They’d been friends for a long time, but nothing romantic had been established until just a month ago. Since then, Bernadetta found that being around Petra was...different. She didn’t know what was expected of her in a relationship, so she frequently found herself fretting over physical contact. Was holding her hand too much? Not enough? Was she supposed to request a hug? When was she allowed to kiss her?

With such thoughts causing her distress so often, she found herself _avoiding_ Petra, which neither of them wanted. Now that she had made plans, there was no way she could back out of them. But that was fine — she needed this if she was finally going to fight through the hindrances that haunted her.

Didn’t make her any less nervous.

Caspar had come by to drop off the cat in a carrier that looked like it had been scavenged from someone’s garage. He immediately shoved a bag of cat food into her hands and started listing a bunch of instructions, but Bernadetta got him to agree to just sending them over text, lest she become overwhelmed with trying to remember the information.

The next thirty-or-so minutes consisted of her frantically packing a bag with overnight essentials, just as she had with any other sleepover she’d been convinced to take part in with her friends. That was when the dilemma came: should she bring her teddy bear? She’d be sharing a bed with Petra, wouldn’t she? At least, she was pretty sure that was what girlfriends did. While she found it difficult to sleep without a stuffed animal in her arms, it sounded wrong to bother Petra with that particular preference.

She settled on taking it with her. Why not? It fit in her bag, and that way it was there just in case.

Her nerves, however, were not settled by the time she climbed into the passenger seat of Yuri’s car. Nor were they when they pulled into the complex parking lot, right next to Petra’s bike.

“Alright, we’re here.”

“I know that,” Bernadetta snapped back upon seeing the smirk emerge on Yuri’s features.

“Then why aren’t you getting out?”

She didn't have an answer. Well, not an answer that didn’t sound utterly ridiculous, anyway. So, she settled on pushing open the car door and taking a shaky step outside. She shifted along the side of the car to get into the back and extract the cat carrier.

Before closing the door, she stuck her head back in.

“You’ll take care of my plants when I’m gone, right? You remember how to water them?”

“I’ve taken care of them before, don’t worry.”

“I’m going to worry.”

“Don’t.”

There wasn’t any use challenging that. After thanking her friend for his generosity in giving her a ride over, she made her way up to Petra’s apartment. Her heart felt like it was ricocheting against her ribcage, and the coat of sweat from her hand that was now on the handle of the cat carrier threatened to make her grip slip.

Now standing in front of the door, Bernadetta felt silly for having to work up the courage to knock. On her own girlfriend’s apartment door! It wasn’t like this was the first time she had been over.

Just as she reached out, the door flew open, and in that moment her struggle was suddenly for naught.

Petra stood in the doorway with a fork in her hand as the smell of mac ‘n’ cheese wafted out of the room — which subsequently caused Bernadetta’s stomach to growl, leading her to realize she hadn’t eaten anything aside from toast that morning. Her simple outfit of a pair of shorts and a tightly fitted t-shirt, the sleeves of which hugged the curve of her biceps, made Bernadetta feel better about showing up in one of her hoodies. Not that there was an expectation to dress up — she just had a worry that she might look too casual for a date. A date? Is that what this was? No, they were just helping a friend out. Not a date.

“H-How did you know I was here?” Bernadetta asked, retracting her outstretched hand and instead using it to tug at the hair behind her ear.

“I was watching you from the window,” was Petra’s answer before she leaned in to peck Bernadetta on the cheek. As Bernie was processing the show of affection with a progressively reddening face, Petra dropped to get level with the door on the cat carrier. Pressing her face against the door, she started to coo at the animal inside.

It was really cute, but Bernadetta was starting to get tired of holding it.

“Petra, c-can I—”

“Oh. Yes.” Petra backed away to give her girlfriend an apologetic look while a paw followed to bat her on the nose. They both giggled.

Once Petra was standing, she took the cat from Bernadetta and carried it to the other side of the room. Bernadetta followed her inside, closing the door and sliding her shoes off before she stepped foot on the hide rug that was spread out in the center of the room — only one of many in the apartment.

While Petra was busy fiddling with the door on the cat carrier, Bernadetta deposited her duffel bag beside the couch. Frustrated mutterings from the other side of the room turned into affectionate coos once the squeak of metal was heard. Petra eagerly collected the mass of black and white fur into her arms before presenting it to Bernadetta, lips parted in a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes in delight.

“Look at him! I adore him,” Petra said, burying her face in the cat’s fur. His tail curled as he purred, and Bernadetta knew she should have had her phone out to take a picture. “Does he have a name?”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah he does.” She scratched her head and bit her lip. She should have anticipated relaying that bit of information, as much as she found it embarrassing. It wasn’t even her own cat! “It’s...Mountain Dew.”

Petra went still, not so much as flinching when a paw whacked her in the cheek. Bernadetta waited in the uncomfortable silence as Petra seemingly absorbed what had just been said. The laughter that followed startled the cat in her arms.

“Then the naming must have been done by Caspar!” She turned to Mountain Dew, who gave her an acknowledging mew. “Mountain Dew. I am liking it.”

“W-We don’t have to call him that!” Please, dear goddess, she did _not_ want to utter that mouthful of a name.

“Then what are you suggesting instead?”

“Something cute? Like...Dewey? Can we call him Dewey?”

“Oh! I am liking that as well! We can call him Dewey.”

Thank goodness.

  
  


Petra eventually released Dewey, allowing him to explore his new surroundings so that she could finish her lunch. In the meantime, Bernadetta made herself comfortable on the couch. Watching her girlfriend stuff her face with macaroni while she continued to be utterly enthralled with her animal visitor was enough to put Bernadetta at ease for the time being. Petra looked rather clownish, hunched over the counter with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, and Bernadetta was pretty sure she was doing it intentionally.

After inhaling the last of the macaroni, Petra quickly washed out the bits of cheese that still clung to the bowl before leaving by the sink and joining Bernadetta on the sofa. This was when her heart started to pick up its pace again. Should she initiate something?

“Are you wanting to watch something? Dorothea gave me her account so we can watch some movies. The ones you like.”

“The ones I like? Oh, we don’t have to watch any of those if you don’t want.”

“I want to watch what Bernie wants.”

The statement was sincere. Bernadetta responded with a nod, knowing Petra wouldn’t budge if she continued to argue.

That didn’t stop her from asking: “Are you sure you like those kinds of movies?”

“I was liking them when I was with Dorothea. Why would it be different with you?”

Bernadetta didn’t have an answer for that. Messing with a bundle of hairs near her neck, she sighed and leaned back against the cushion.

“Okay. I wanna watch a movie with you.”

“Then I will be preparing the popcorn! You can make your choice of movie.”

“Uh, shouldn’t we feed Dewey first?”

“I will also—”

“Let me do it.”

Bernadetta shot up out of her seat and rummaged around in her bag for the cat food Caspar had dumped into her arms that morning. Ah, but she didn’t have a dish.

Cat food in hand, Bernie turned around, only to jump in surprise when she saw Petra was already standing there with a small bowl in her hand. She took it with a silent thank-you and proceeded to set it on the hardwood where Dewey would see it.

Filling it and preparing a water dish alongside it took moments, so Bernadetta settled back down on the sofa as Petra watched the microwave from her seat on the counter. She figured it would be appropriate to set the movie up; it was her choice, after all. She swiped the remote off the coffee table and got to it.

“So where is it that Caspar and Ashe are going? They were not telling me of their plans.”

“Oh, I guess they just decided to go camping. I don’t think anyone knew. Caspar didn’t even tell me where.”

“That sounds fun. I would like to go camping.”

“Yeah?” Camping definitely sounded like something that would get Petra excited. Really, it sounded like a wonderful idea for a date; just the two of them out in nature. Petra would want to spend a morning hiking and climbing a tree or two just to show off, but they would certainly stop along the way every time something in the surrounding vegetation caught Bernadetta’s eye. After the sun went down, she could picture herself curled up in Petra’s arms, sandwiched snugly between the warmth of a fire and that of Petra behind her.

Instead, they were in Petra’s apartment, watching over their friends’ cat. She could only imagine how disappointed Petra must have felt that they weren’t the ones out having fun. Bernadetta herself was more than satisfied with curling up and watching a movie with her beloved at her side (and perhaps a fluffy animal in her lap), but that didn’t seem fair to Petra, did it?

Bernadetta was stirred from her thoughts by the smell of popcorn and the shifting of the couch cushions. Petra set the big bowl of popcorn — the same big bowl she had been scooping macaroni and cheese from earlier — on the table in front of them before sliding her fingers along Bernadetta’s jaw to gently cup her face.

“Is something giving you trouble?” she asked, her brow creased with concern. Their faces were noticeably close, and Bernadetta fought the urge to close the distance though she so yearned to.

“No, it’s nothing,” she lied, avoiding her girlfriend’s inquisitive brown eyes. She could tell by Petra’s hum that it was not bought, but Petra dropped it anyway.

“Your nails are cute today. The color is suiting you,” she told her softly, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek. Though Bernadetta smiled bashfully at it all, the guilt still clawed at her. That was the second time Petra kissed her today, and she had yet to reciprocate.

Petra took the remote to start the movie, and therefore provided Bernadetta with a distraction for the time being. The popcorn bowl was transferred to Petra’s lap, giving Bernadetta easier access. She didn’t think twice about sticking her hand in to partake in the snack; she’d barely eaten at all that day.

The downpour started just as the movie had absorbed their attention, yet Petra turned the volume up as if it were instinct. Bernadetta was still aware of the patter on the window, as it still overpowered the volume of the TV. 

“I hope it is not raining where Caspar is,” Petra remarked before setting the remote back down. She draped an arm around Bernadetta’s shoulders, tugging her closer. Bernadetta complied, scooting as close as she could to Petra and resting her head on her shoulder in turn.

The second ‘distraction,’ if you will, came in the form of a cat hopping into Bernadetta’s unoccupied lap. It was an honor to be chosen as the feline’s place to curl up, and she was quickly overcome by it, looking down to aim an affectionate rub behind Dewey’s ears. Pretty soon she had gotten carried away with peppering his head with kisses, spurred by his purring.

Feeling the body beside her shift, Bernadetta turned away from the cat in her lap to glance over at Petra. She nearly flinched upon locking eyes with her girlfriend. Petra’s face was blank, leaving her stare unreadable. A shiver promptly ran up Bernadetta’s spine.

The next thing she knew, Bernie was screaming and clutching her face. Dewey scrambled off of her lap, running off to goddess-knows-where to escape the horrible noise.

“Bernie? Bernie, let me see,” Petra urged, prying her hand away to examine her cheek.

“A-Am I bleeding?” Bernadetta asked in a panic. She felt like she was bleeding. Stupid cat!

“Only a little. Have patience, I will be getting a bandage.”

Petra hurried off to her bathroom. With a sigh, Bernadetta collapsed against the sofa. She could just make out the sound of running water over the rain. Oh, it was so like her to ruin a peaceful moment. Stupid, stupid Bernie!

Just then, the thunder cut in as if to chime into her self-scolding. Petra came back with a washcloth and Band-Aid in hand, the former of which she pressed against Bernadetta’s face in order to clean up the streaks left behind by a painfully sharp set of kitty claws. 

The rather unnecessary application of an adhesive bandage to the tiny wound left Bernadetta realizing that, once again, she was being coddled. She stewed in this as Petra took a moment to tap away at her phone screen, eyes briefly darting to the window where the storm outside graced them with another flash of lighting. Her tongue was sticking out — something Bernadetta noticed Petra often did while writing or typing. It was awfully adorable. Had she ever mentioned that?

“You’re cute.” The sudden comment surprised both of them. Petra’s head snapped up from her phone screen. Bernadetta felt the heat creep up her face. “W-When you type. The thing you do with your tongue.” She decided to stare at her hands, rather than her girlfriend’s face. “It’s really cute.”

When she saw Petra’s cheeks redden with a blush, her first instinct was to apologize.

“Thank you, Bernie,” Petra muttered, shifting in her seat to gaze fondly at Bernadetta. She carefully ran a finger over the Band-Aid across Bernadetta’s cheek (which felt sticky and awkward whenever she moved her mouth) to make sure it was staying in place. “You are cute, as well.”

“No, no, wait!” Enough was enough. It was Bernie’s turn to show affection. “You keep saying that.”

“Because it is the truth.”

“W-Well! It’s also true that _you’re_ cute, but I never say it!” She took Petra’s face in her trembling hands. Oh, wow. Her face was really soft. “Petra, you’re cute.”

She responded with a laugh, and the butterflies in her belly danced to the melody. Bernie’s next question was out of her mouth before she could even think to stop it.

“Can I kiss you?” She knew it sounded terribly silly, and she kind of wished she could just sink between the cushions and disappear like loose change.

“Yes,” Petra giggled, “you don’t need my permission.”

Her eyes fluttered shut as Bernadetta leaned in to plant her lips on her forehead. The delighted hum she evoked chased away her doubts, and Bernadetta finally found the courage to repay Petra with an onslaught of kisses.

They collapsed into a giggling heap on the sofa, Petra wiggling out of Bernadetta’s hold to retaliate with kisses of her own. The movie and the rain continued in the background, now forgotten as Bernadetta gazed lovingly at the woman on top of her.

But there was one thing that couldn’t go ignored.

“Shit! The cat!” Bernadetta exclaimed, sitting up with Petra straddling her lap. They both scanned the room. No sign of the cat.

“Check my room,” Petra said, sliding onto her feet and hurrying to the bedroom. Bernadetta followed.

She made a sweep of the room first. He wasn’t seated on top of the bed among the tidy array of pillows. What was, though, was the stuffed dolphin Bernadetta had crocheted for one of Petra’s birthdays. She smiled as she scanned the rest of the surroundings for the cat. A couple stacks of books sat on one side of the bed, all with colorful tabs sticking out from between their pages.

Petra was just kneeling to survey the space beneath the bed when Bernadetta saw the papers tacked to the wall beside the desk. She recognized them as pages she’d torn from one of her sketchbook — ones with drawings of various flowers that she deemed too sloppy, but Petra quite clearly admired.

Dewey was found under the bed. Petra wormed her way under, all the while murmuring to him in an odd mishmash of languages that Bernadetta could only half translate. She doubted Dewey understood any of it, other than the fact that it was directed at him.

“He is a kitty with stubbornness,” she heard Petra, voice muffled, say. “He is similar to you.”

“Hey!” Bernadetta barked. Again, victim to teasing with nothing she could say to snap back, she pouted. “I-I’ve gotten better!” Petra laughed.

“Yes, I know. And I am proud of you. Ah! Dewey!”

Dewey darted out from under the bed and left the room in a blur, his little paws drumming rapidly against the floor.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Petra answered. She shifted around in her spot on the floor, waist wedged between it and the bed. “Uh, Bernie?”

“Hm?”

“I have gotten myself stuck.” She wiggled again, to emphasize her point. Blushing, Bernadetta averted her eyes. “Can you help me get out?”

“W-What do you want me to do?”

“Just pull me out! Grab my legs,” as she made the request, she lifted her feet in the air. Bernadetta did as was asked and grabbed hold of Petra’s legs, mustering up the strength necessary to tug her girlfriend free. Then, with a grunt, she slid Petra out from under the bed.

“Gotcha,” she breathed. Petra rolled onto her back, a smug smirk plastered on her face. “Wh-What’s that look about?”

“I was having a joke. I was not actually stuck,” she explained with a giggle. She tugged Bernadetta by the collar of her hoodie, pulling her down until their noses were touching.

“Jerk,” Bernie muttered playfully before closing the distance. It didn’t dawn on her how bold the gesture was until Petra kissed back.

  
  


At some point they gave a different movie a try; this time they curled up under a blanket together, since Petra was feeling cold. When it came time for Bernadetta to get up — she had offered to make stir fry, to Petra’s delight — she relinquished her hoodie to her girlfriend before she made her way to the kitchen.

Just as she suspected, Petra wanted to share the bed with Bernadetta when they were finally settling in for the night. Bernadetta, of course, still stuttered out an offer to sleep on the couch instead; Petra was very amused by this, and it was hard not to smile when she laughed.

Bernadetta slid into bed next to Petra, sighing as her limbs came in contact with the chill of unoccupied bed sheets. All the more reason to scoot closer to Petra, which she did.

She looked up at the woman beside her just as she reached over to give her nose a playful tap and her cheek a soft caress. The tease of an affectionate touch left her wanting more, but she just sat there with her phone as Petra turned a page in her book.

Dewey made his way into the room, strutting through the small gap in the door like it had been made specifically for him (which it had been). His leap onto the bed gave Bernadetta a start, and the phone in her hands hit her face and slid off onto the pillow. The giggle to her left had her face exploding into an embarrassed shade of pink.

“Are you alright?” Petra asked her, leaning over to give her forehead a kiss. She handed Bernadetta her phone before she could sink below the covers in humiliation.

“Fine,” she murmured back. There was now a warm lump at her feet. Initially she was annoyed by the loss of space; after all, Bernie was used to sleeping in her own bed, alone. But after giving it another thought, it felt rather nice to be next to another body in bed. And a cat.

“Are you not forgetting something?”

“Huh? What would I be forgetting?” The stove was off, right? She was sure she turned it off—

“Where is your friend? The bear? You always sleep with your bear.” Bernadetta blinked.

“You remember that?”

“Of course I have re— ahem. Of course I remember that, Bernie.” Petra shut the book and placed it by the lamp at the bedside. Now giving Bernadetta her full attention, she continued. “You always brought him to our sleepovers. Oh, except for the one time. Edelgard gave you _her_ bear in its stead.”

“That’s so embarrassing!” Bernadetta cried, letting her phone rest on her chest so she could grab a nearby pillow and cover her face with it. She remembered feeling horribly guilty about borrowing Edelgard’s favorite stuffed bear. It helped her sleep, but she really shouldn’t be so dependent on a stuffed animal to do so. It was childish of her.

“Is it? I think it is cute that you sleep with a stuffed friend.”

“Isn’t it kind of dumb? It’s something a kid does. Bernie’s like a little kid, isn’t she—”

“No, Bernie, it isn’t dumb.”

“...you won’t be upset if I have my bear in the bed? I-If you’d be upset I understand—”

“Go get your bear, Bernie.”

Bernadetta scrambled out of bed and went straight to her bag, which Petra had moved to the corner of the room near her desk. After extracting her bear, she spun back around, only to find that her spot was now occupied by a furry loaf.

“Dewey!” she whined, leaning over the mattress to try and shoo him back to the foot of the bed. He didn’t move from the spot, but he maneuvered himself in order to start grooming. With a chuckle, Petra plucked him from the bed and received a surprised _mrowr_ in response. “Thank you.”

Bernadetta hurried back into the bed, shimmying back into her warm spot, now with a stuffed animal tucked under her arm. Petra released the cat, allowing him to begrudgingly settle back down by their feet, tail thrashing.

The lamp was turned off with a click, and Petra settled under the covers. Bernadetta caught a pleasant whiff of fruity shampoo. She wondered if she could move a little closer—

An arm wrapped around her waist, and Petra pulled her flush against her. Her breath tickled the back of Bernie’s neck before her nose pressed against it. She hummed.

“I believe,” Petra murmured, Bernadetta smiling at the sensation against her skin, “this is making you the little spoon.”

“And you’re the big spoon.”

“Yes!” Petra squeezed her middle and nuzzled against her neck. “I am the big spoon.”

“And that’s good with you?” Oh, she didn’t know why such a question had to have slipped from her lips with an anxious waver.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not...weird? To cuddle with, or something?”

“No, Bernie. You are perfect for cuddling,” Petra purred in her ear. She playfully gave her tummy a gentle pinch, earning a bubbly giggle from Bernadetta.

“I’m sorry.”

“And you are now apologizing? Why is this?”

“I...we stayed inside all day. I kind of figured you would have wanted to spend time doing something...fun. Like go to that bowling place you and Caspar like. Or go camping. Instead, I kind of just roped you into watching the cat with me.” With her last word, Bernadetta pressed her face into her bear. The scent of her own sheets that lingered on it overtook that of Petra’s.

“Oh, Bernie, an apology for that is not necessary. I enjoyed our day. And we will have one just like it tomorrow.” A kiss was pressed to her shoulder. “I have...mm...no...I’m glad you came over with the cat.”

“...really?”

“Yes, really. Please believe that I love spending my time with you, Bernie.”

“I...love spending time with you, too,” Bernadetta responded with a blush creeping across her face — not that Petra could see. “Next time, you choose what we do.”

“I will be looking forward to it.” A giggle. A long pause. She could feel Petra squeeze her tighter. “And maybe the next time we are cuddling...you can be the big spoon.”

“...you want me to?”

“I would love it greatly.”

Bernadetta nestled into her pillow, a grin splitting her face. She dozed off shortly after, thoughts quelled by the warmth that enveloped her. Their rest was sound, and the bliss would remain undisturbed until they were roused the next morning by a refrain of demanding yowls.

**Author's Note:**

> I think it is important to clarify that the impromptu camping trip was, in fact, in order for Caspar to avoid the storm.
> 
> This was my first time actually finishing a modern au fic, and I had a lot of fun doing it :))


End file.
